A tough job, but Ready is doing it

“We’re concerned with how we deal with the 0-2 pitch and putting the ball in play,” Ready says. “Maybe the numbers said we weren’t doing well, but that’s not my job. My job is to stay in the present tense. That other stuff’s history. You can’t look back.

“A big part of this business is staying in the present tense. We make adjustments, but it’s not mechanics. It’s approach and concentration. We can’t look back on the strikeouts. A couple of our young guys are still processing, and the more they see, the more confident they become. There has to be a number of at-bats before you know what you’ve got.”

Ready spends a lot of time in the batting cages, but he isn’t a golf coach changing swings.

“I teach and coach winning baseball,” Ready says. “This is a recipe for success; you have to be around it every day to understand what it means. It’s an ongoing experience over the course of a season.

“What is the club’s state of mind? Make them feel 10-feet tall instead of 10-feet small and hopefully get contributions from all 13 guys. We have a different hero every night (see: Chris Denorfia). It’s no secret about this ballpark. You have to adjust. I think it is surprising, though, that we’ve hit better at home than on the road.

“Our pitching and defense isn’t a fluke, and we’ve added some consistency on offense. Our offensive numbers may be low, but I look at hitting with runners in scoring position, how guys perform under pressure. I get a lot of compliments from scouts, and I tell the players.”

Since spring training, we’ve been hearing the Padres need another bat, but even I’m not so sure anymore. This just may be the most amazing Padres team of all. I just don’t know if it’s possible to get value for value. Face it, Stan Musial isn’t walking into the clubhouse.